The Future of Bricks and Mortar Stores May Surprise You!
“RETAIL IS NOT DEAD YET!”
The reports of the death of bricks and mortar retail stores have been greatly exaggerated. While it’s true that, according to the Department of Commerce, e-commerce is the fastest-growing segment of retail sales, it still represents less than 10% of the total market. Each year it...
5 Ways to Build Brand Personality Into Your Consumer Packaged Goods Brand
“I JUST LOVE THAT BRAND!”
Some brands instantly make you smile. They seem to take on almost human personality traits we can all identify with. Consumers seem to be drawn to attractive brand personality traits. It's definitely a personality contest out there. The question is, where does your brand rate on...
5 Ways Product Differentiation Can Improve Your Sales
BUT HOW IS IT DIFFERENT!
There's so much noise out there in the competitive market. And it's only natural for customers to notice and be attracted to products that have differentiated themselves. They are drawn to the unique features that set those products apart from their competitors. Successful consumer brand builders...
5 Ways to Keep your CPG Product on the Retail Shelf
THEY CAN’T BUY IT IF IT AIN’T THERE!
Too often we hear CPG brand builders bragging about how they have finally achieved shelf placement at some big box or chain store. But, broadly distributed CPG brands are only as good as their ability to maintain and expand their retail shelf presence. With our experience...
How to Get Paid for Your New Product Idea
I’VE GOT A GREAT IDEA, SO PAY ME!
We often hear, “I’ve got a great new product idea, so pay me!” It’s as if the person with the new product idea thinks that the idea itself is worthy of compensation. For the most part, it’s not. It’s usually a very long and arduous journey...
Consumer Packaged Goods Brand Building – You Found It!
EXPERIENCE IS THE GREATEST TEACHER
If you are looking for actionable information on building a Consumer Packaged Goods brand, also known as a CPG brand, you have come to the right place. We don’t just talk about it, we actually did it. We took a CPG brand all the way from...5 Ways Brand Architecture Can Wreck Brands
THE BRAND BONE YARD
Ever notice how some CPG brands just disappear from the marketplace? One day they are in the store like they have been for years and the next, Poof! They’re history! This phenomenon is usually caused by structural flaws in the Brand Architecture of the acquiring company....
5 Factors Affect CPG Brand Positioning
YOUR MESSAGE VS THEIR PERCEPTION
Shelf Brand Positioning CPG brand builders are constantly jockeying for position. They know that their brand will live or die based on its position on the shelf. Too high, too hard to reach. Too low, won’t get noticed. Eye level is where they strive to be....
7 Questions to Distinguish a Brand Builder from a Merchant– A New Definition of Entrepreneur
SHORT-TERM PROFITS OR LONG-TERM BRAND EQUITY?
We are international speakers on entrepreneurship. We've spoken it more than 50 schools teach entrepreneurship internationally. We've also given more than 50 keynotes to large industry conferences and summits. One of the questions we often get is, “Do we need a new definition of entrepreneurship?” The...
Don’t Let Waste Plastic Waste Your Brand Image!
PACKAGING ALTERNITIVES MAKE DOLLARS AND SENSE
When Michael was a boy, his first job was a courtesy clerk for the local Safeway supermarket. One of his duties was sorting pop bottles. In those days plastic was relatively new and was not yet widely used in packaging. Soft drink manufacturers had to use...
5 Positioning Tools to Target Your Brand
BULL’S EYE!
A recent survey we conducted polling 14 international accelerators concluded that one of the top three reasons for business failure was a poor product-market fit. The owners of these accelerators make it their business to recognize and know when this problem emerges among their clients. They...
7 Rebranding Tips
NOT SO FAST!
Are you having trouble with sales? Has your distribution run into a wall? There’s a boatload of rebranding experts telling you, “It’s time to rebrand!” They have a vested interest in your decision to do so. They get paid whether or not their rebranding strategy plans...
7 Common Branding Mistakes that Can Hurt Your Brand
“OUCH!”
When all that work that you’ve been doing to build your brand to make it a household word finally begins to pay off, something else happens. Your brand becomes vulnerable! When it was new and relatively unknown, you could make a mistake and it would not be...
5 Steps to Strong Brand Recognition in The CPG Space
“THAT’S THE ONE!”
When you go to any store or online retailer, there are so many choices in every category, it makes you wonder how any one brand ever gets noticed over another. If you’re like us, you recognize the brands that have consistently provided dependable value time and...
3 Good Reasons Why Branding Is Important to CPG Brand Sales
IT’S THE PERSONALITY OF YOUR PRODUCT
Why is branding important? We must start by understanding what a brand is, and more specifically, the difference between a product and a brand. A product is simply a commodity, basically goods or services for sale. Products are generic and can be sold in bulk. There...
7 Logo Mishaps That Can Cost You Plenty!
BAD LOGOS ARE NO-GOES!
Most marketing people put a lot of emphasis on logos. To hear them talk, it’s the logo that sells the product. They like to show you logos they’ve designed that have gone on to “build” amazing brands. But they’re not going to show you their client’s...
7 Considerations Your CPG Brands Must Satisfy to Create Eye-Catching Logos
IT LOOKS LIKE A PIZZA OUT THERE!
Creating a logo for a CPG brand requires overcoming some specific and unique challenges of the retail marketplace. It’s not like creating a logo for your business card, company stationery, or email signature. Unlike those uses, in the CPG marketplace there is a ton of other...
CPG Marketing Communications Must Respect the Retail Environment
I GET IT!
When you ask your friend who just made a new purchase, “Why did you buy that?” their answer is generally the result of effective marketing communication. They may respond with features and benefits, pricing and value, or reputation and accolades. These are all part of marketing...